Watch: After 14-Year-Old Takes Her Own Life Amidst Self-Harm Episode, New Survey Reveals Risks Online
When 14-year-old Hannah Smith took her own life as a result of online bullying, her family was devastated and broken.
They had lost their beloved young girl to faceless, nameless individuals online, who were sending her nasty messages like “you are so ugly” and “why don’t you go and drink bleach?”
However, an inquiry set up after her death discovered that she had in fact been sending herself the majority of the abusive messages, revealing a new type of self-harm for the modern world.
A new survey by the Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society as part of the POP-UP project revealed the breadth of negative and damaging behaviours young children can be exposed to when using the internet.
It found that children as young as seven years old are facing abuse online.
With at least 11% of children between the ages of 11 and 13 spending a minimum of six hours online, it was revealed that at least one in seven children are facing online abuse from a young age.
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Fortunately, the survey revealed that the majority of children knew where and how to seek help from professionals if they ever faced a potentially toxic situation.
With the POP-UP Project continuing to raise awareness of the new challenges children face, families who want to find out more or get into contact are urged to call 21484662 and get in touch with the Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society.
Do you think children are at risk online more than ever?
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